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$3.7 million in projects approved by Lansing school board

LANSING - Technology upgrades, asbestos abatement and renovations to Sexton High School were approved Thursday night by the Lansing School District Board of Education.

Replacing internet and phone systems district-wide was the biggest item approved by board members during the meeting. The district expects to spend $3.4 million to replace phone and internet networks beginning this summer.

“Many of the pieces are getting close to the end of their useful life,” said Paul Twigg, director of technology services at Barton Malow, the district’s consultant on the implementation of the Pathway Promise millage.

Approximately $2.64 million needed for the project is coming from the $120 million Pathway Promise millage, which was approved by voters last summer. The rest, about $760,000, will be paid from a fund that stores profits from the sale of unused buildings and property.

The project is expected to be completed before students and staff return from summer break later this year, Twigg said. Moss Telecommunications, a Grand Rapids-based firm, was selected by the board and had the lowest bid among those who provided a cost estimate.

An asbestos abatement project was also approved by the board. Fibertec, a Holt-based environmental services firm, will receive nearly $280,000 from the district to remove materials containing asbestos from buildings slated for renovations as part of the Pathway Promise, as well as conduct air quality tests.

Lockers at Sexton High School will get a fresh coat of red paint after board members approved adding $69,000 in expenses to an ongoing renovation project. The total cost of the project is $172,000 and includes new paint and carpeting within the school. Much of that work has already been completed or is currently underway, said Teresa Szymanski, director of operations.

The district plans to use money from its sinking fund to pay for the project, Szymanski said.